Special Education Advocacy conference

[twinturbo]

I really want to go to this. They will accept advocates although they prefer attorneys. I don't qualify under any definition but I'm going to apply anyhow. Any input on how you think I should approach or NOT approach on the registration app appreciated.

Normally I'm a pretty self sustainable gal but I might need a contact or two in Virginia area to ask about the best accommodations and how to get food for that long. Then I can tally up my costs to see if it's possible. Likely, it is. Cheaper than an attorney on retainer.

The William & Mary Law Institute of Special Education Advocacy (ISEA)
Williamsburg, VA

August 3 - August 8, 2014

Registration Open February 1 - June 30, 2014

The William & Mary Law Institute of Special Education Advocacy is presenting a five-day training program hosted by the William & Mary School of Law and co-sponsored by the PELE Special Education Advocacy Clinic, Wrightslaw, and The Oklahoma Disability Law Center.

The purpose of this program is to provide training in special education advocacy for experienced advocates, law students, new attorneys, and attorneys who are new to special education law.

The program will include 25 sessions on applicable laws, ethics, best practices in advocacy, strategies in working with parents and schools, and dispute resolution procedures, taught by national leaders in the field.

The Institute begins on Sunday evening, August 3, 2014, with the Orientation and Registration session and Welcome Reception.

The program will be held at:
William & Mary School of Law
The William & Mary School of Law
613 South Henry Street
Williamsburg, VA 23185-4110

Agenda

Topics include:

    History and Applicable Laws
    Ethics in Special Education Advocacy (CLE credit)
    Introduction to Legal Research
    Case Review and Analysis
    Understanding Evaluations, Tests and Measurements
    Individualized Education Programs (IEPs)
    Section 504
    Eligibility
    Behavioral Issues at School
    Discipline
    Juvenile Justice
    Negotiating with Schools - Getting to YES!
    School Perspectives
    Strategies for Working with Schools
    Strategies for Working with Parents
    Dispute Resolution and State Complaints
    Experts as Fellow Advocates
    Preparing a Case for Trial/Due Process
    Using Evaluations, Tests and Measurements as Evidence
    Evidence Strategies
    Legal Claims and Remedies
    Creating Systemic Change in Your State

The complete agenda will be available soon.

Registration

The registration fee includes the opening reception, all lunches and scheduled breaks, over $200.00 of materials, including books* and multimedia training.

In general, educational and training expenses are tax deductible. Check with your accountant about deductible educational expenses that may include books, continuing education fees, and travel costs.
Registration Fees -
Advocates, Educator/Advocates, Non-attorneys    
$795
Attorneys (CLE credits pending)    
$995
2 or more Individuals from same office    
10% discount
Law Students (non-credit)    
$795

Attendance is limited to 75. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis bi-monthly until the class is full. Early applications are recommended.

Scholarships: Some state Planning Councils or Developmental Disabilities Councils offer scholarships or funds for participation in conferences and short-term educational programs for advocates in the field of developmental disabilities. You may want to investigate funding available in your state. Go to the National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities. Click on the map for your state Council website to begin your search. (Example:Indiana Consumer Investment Fund.)

Registration for Law Students

Law students can earn two graded credits for this course.  Each law student enrolled for credit will be required to complete the pre-assigned work for ISEA, attend all ISEA sessions, and submit a paper no later than August 22nd of no less than ten double-spaced pages to Professor Patty Roberts on a topic mutually agreed upon prior to August 8th.

Student tuition and fee information is found on this page:
http://www.wm.edu/offices/financialoperations/sa/tuition/index.php. William & Mary students may register on-line prior to May 15th, 2013. Law students not currently enrolled at W&M must contact Patty Roberts to apply for admission to this course.

*All registrants will receive new copies of Wrightslaw: Special Education Law, 2nd Edition, Wrightslaw: From Emotions to Advocacy, 2nd Edition, and Wrightslaw: All About IEPs. If you already have copies with notes and wish to use your books for classwork, please do not hesitate to bring them with you.

Application Process

Attendance is limited to 75. Attendees will be selected via an application process. The application form includes all registration details, costs, applicant questionnaire, and required pre-conference assignments. Download the application.

Applications will be considered on a rolling basis bi-monthly until the class is full. Early applications are recommended.

If accepted, participants agree to complete all pre-conference assigned reading and course work, attend and participate in all sessions, and complete all homework and class assignments.

Submit your application to the Parents Engaged for Learning Equality (PELE) Clinic at William & Mary Law School with a deposit check in the amount of $250. Checks should be made out to the Marshall-Wythe School of Law Foundation or MWSLF. Please write 'Registration for ISEA' in the memo field.

If you are accepted, payment of the remaining registration fee must be received within ten days of notification of your acceptance in ISEA. If you are not enrolled in the course, your deposit check will be returned immediately.

Download the application.

Credits: Continuing Legal Education (CLE) 27.5 credits are anticipated, including 1 ethics (1.5 hours). Continuing Education Units (CEU) 2.5 (25 contact hours) are anticipated for this conference.

Questions? Contact the PELE Clinic at (757) 221-5735 or pele@wm.edu

[twinturbo]

Here's the application. Knowing I don't even qualify and unsure to get the professional references (yet) I'm thinking of withholding my application until towards the end when all the truly qualified individuals have already applied and it's possible they are looking at anyone to fill the class. The trade off is it may fill up. The one advantage I have is that it's in August when most people are out of school or on vacation.

I might be able to dig up two professional references good enough on paper if they don't look too close. One is one my MD friends, someone I've known since middle school. The other is more of a lapsed referenced, a detective formerly with CIA who took a real shining to me that I worked with in another lifetime.

[ajasfolks2]

I'm wondering how much of this will be Pete Wright's presentations? 

Write your own "professional reference" (for one of them, esp if time is of essence) . . . you are so damned persuasive and ON IT that I think it would work.     

And if you really want to do this, don't wait.  Make the application with deposit ASAP to show your desire and commitment.

Just my nickel on the not-yet-snow-covered grass this morning. 

[LinksEtc]

Write your own "professional reference" (for one of them, esp if time is of essence) . . . you are so damned persuasive and ON IT that I think it would work.     

My opinion is that FAS has been at the forefront of FA 504 issues ..
Remembering and thanking FA 504 trailblazers and advocates
I'm pretty sure we've had a large influence over how the whole issue is currently framed ... even if the wider community doesn't always give us much formal recognition.

So .... the fact that so many of us here think that you are a great candidate says something.

[ajasfolks2]

Agree with Links and feel like also saying thank you to Links for that comment.

FAS HAS had large influence.  More than we'll likely ever know _{(especially since there are many who never seem to want to credit us, ahem, as they visit here discreetly or pass through)}

[LinksEtc]

You know what I was wondering ....

How familiar is Wrightslaw with FAS?  Are some of you pretty close with them?

Would they write TT a recommendation as our advocacy community representative?

[twinturbo]

I'm working on the required letters total of 3, split (2) and (1). Two from professional references which I've already established contact with one, the lawyer advocate. The other is a detective I used to work with who was also former federal agent. Being a fed's daughter we got along quite well. He was the one recommending me straight for direct hire field duty.

Pete Wright won't work even though I'm tentatively slotted to see him and Jim Long former OCR Senior Attorney. Those plus all the previous Wrightslaw goes on my CV. I think this law clinic is all about Wrightslaw, put on by Wrightslaw but it's going to be 5 days no-holds barred with attorneys, law students, advocates and possibly a sprinkle of school personnel compared to the one day workshop. Therefore, on my application where there are specific mention to required Wrightslaw material done and done because I already have all his material prior, and I will be able to put it on my CV. As I put elsewhere I have a previous Bar Association newsletter publication credit which will go on as well even though it's unrelated to FAs.

With permission here I'm going to position myself within our support group as the one we're sending for training. I plan to reference it in some way. Links and I are working on the third letter requirement--the one I'm weighing for best option: letter of recommendation from someone who would attest to witnessing my work in advocacy. And that I want to position carefully in that it shouldn't be all strength because we want to show that this training is vital to advancement as it is a rare opportunity for a non-lawyer who can pay it forward by serving an underserved community.

I'm going to secure those two professional reference letters first hopefully from my two law picks. I give it 80% for both.

DH is behind this 100%. It's not cheap but we can write it off partially come tax time. My goal is to also start synching up with the disability rights chapter established in my state (P&A). I will try to make a connection with Jim Long the ex-OCR attorney at the Chicago conference. FARE has been rather responsive to my emails they may even put me in contact with Jim prior.

When I establish my LinkedIn there's one big connection I'm going to try to cash in. There's one guy my father worked with they're still a little bromancy with each other, anyhow he's always told me for years to just contact him if I was heading towards anything to do with law. I didn't previously because my father has zero respect for municipal policing and I couldn't take his complaining. Regardless, I may initiate that contact now although at this point the guy is sort of legendary and powerful. Nice, but he's more of a social contact. I'm his old work buddy's daughter.

You know what I was wondering ....

How familiar is Wrightslaw with FAS?  Are some of you pretty close with them?

Would they write TT a recommendation as our advocacy community representative?

This is going to be put on by Wrightslaw. I think they need an outside rec.

[twinturbo]

I'm wondering how much of this will be Pete Wright's presentations? 

Write your own "professional reference" (for one of them, esp if time is of essence) . . . you are so damned persuasive and ON IT that I think it would work.     

And if you really want to do this, don't wait.  Make the application with deposit ASAP to show your desire and commitment.

Just my nickel on the not-yet-snow-covered grass this morning.

Agreed. This does however work in a much different fashion than registration for a workshop. There's an application with some very specific questions that require a demonstration of substantive knowledge with correct context of state laws regarding special education. Nothing that can't be done but it will be highly scrutinized. The application more closely resembles a law school application, any application package with any missing or incomplete element will be automatically disqualified from consideration.

[twinturbo]

You know... I think I may ask FARE to write the advocacy letter of recommendation for me on FARE letterhead. I can work this.